The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-26
CHICAGO DRAINAGE

Undoubtedly Chicago needs an outlet
both for the storm water drainage of the
south part of Cook county AS well as for the
sewerage system OF the city. II Is pro
posed to use the Illinois & Michigan canal
and the DesplaineS and Illinois rivers al
such outlet eularging the canal to capac
lily 10 carry away both the storm. water and
sewerage.
II Is assum ed In this plan that by turn
Ing the waters Of Lake Michigan into the
canal and reducing the level ut Summit a
suificien, body OF water will I've carried in.
70 the outlet 10 neutralize the effect of the
sewerage sent down with II. This sssump.
ton is made not only by Chicago people,
but as we'll az by the bJard of health Of
the State,-that before the combined water
and sewerage shall have reached Joliet,
the Impurities will have been neutralized
by contact with the air, and that thereafter
the stream will be harmless TO the people
who live along the course of the proposed
outlet Analyses Of water from the canal
At Shannah hon. etc, made last year by the
board OF health, would seem 70 confirm
this belief
/, Is a question, however, whether when
all the sewerage of the city shall have been
turned into the canal and Illinois river, this
publication by the forces of nature alone
will prove sufficiently; whether the in
creasing population OF Chicago will not In
time cause Il flood of filth that nature can
not purify before II reaches the illineis
river, indeed Ii Is question whether in
any case il Is desirable or proper thing
10 dump the sewerage of any city, great
or small, into river. And this Is the
branch OF the subject that the people along
the rivers affected should insist on thor
oughly discussing before the proposed
drainage district, as laid out for Chicago
and the southern end of Cook county, shall
be authorized by the Legislature
II Is certain that the system by which
the sewerage Of London was cast into the
Thames and turned over 10 nature 10 puri
fy was not a success, The polluted water
had free access to the air the year round
mot Ms il would be in Illinois for only nine
or ten months of the year. the ebb tide
carried II rapidly down to the sea, the flow
cast il back again, and II eObed md flowed
and had lots of air" nevertheless the
Thames became a yeritable cess pool-a
nuisance that had to be abated and that
work Is now going on-has been for years.
In the Chicago scheme. The water may
carry the sewerage away from that city,
but the siudge will deposit somewhere
along the Illinois river, and the London
experience has been that this precipitation
will be nuisance In dry weather Indeed,
sludge is II constant menace to the lower
Thames country, and late enquiries into
the subject have shown the absolute safety
OF that country demands that 1t be re.
moved, by burning, digging 1t into the
land, or carrying II out TO sea while, as to
the liquid potion of the sewerage, the en-.
quiring commission recommend that "as q
temporary measure" only Il be allowed to
escape into the river until further means
be provided for its publication.
II may be granted that the dilu,lon OF
sewerage. combined with Its flow through
through many miles of river channels, will
deodorike il so as Ia render Il harmless :;
but where, In the Chicago case, will the
limit of immunity from It's effects begin '
Is II desirable tina. this filth should flow
through populous section Of country II
london fears danger from similar systems
Of sewerage dl poss' rom the valley of
tine Thames above her, why may moi the
cities of the Illinois valley fear the same
prospect which seems likely to be thrust
upon them.
There are other means OF remedying
Chicsgo's troubles, Of which she Is not liz.
but II the river scheme 10 the
cheaper Chicago Is not too generous TO EN-.
sE paa .